Hero's Bane writing challenge
by PokemanChaz
Summary: Not an actual story!


Hero's Bane writing challenge, Redo of Ch. 18  
**Heroism  
AN: This is a re-write of one of the chapters of Hero's Bane by BlackDragon41. Go read it, it's one of the best Minecraft stories I've seen.**

Steve instinctively dropped his iron sword to the ground and started struggling against Herobrine's iron grip. He heard a dull thunk from the edge of his consciousness from the sword falling out of reach, while he struggled against his captor. All the while herobrine stared him down with his piercing white eyes.

"H...Hero...brine, st...op"

Steve managed to choke out, but this only made him more enraged. He narrowed his glowing eyes at the pathetic words, and threw Steve against a stone pillar. His mind exploded in pain and he felt his ribs contracting on his already exhausted lungs. Steve was barely aware of Him walking towards him slowly. The sight shook him from his daze and adrenaline pumped through his system. He slowly stood up to face the old Hero.

"Herobrine, please! I want t-"

He was cut off as Herobrine slugged him in the gut and picked him up by the neck again. Herobrine would not have the mortal's lies cloud his actions. He threw Steve six blocks away where he tumbled into an old building. Herobrine summoned his enchanted blade and approached Steve with white haze covering the edges of his vision.

Steve slowly rose to his feet, his blue orbs locked onto Herobrine's white. Steve spotted the jeweled blade in Herobrine's hand and knew that he meant to end him. With all of his might, the miner stood up once again and ran away as fast as he could.

Herobrine smirked at the mortal's retreat. Pity he'd have to destroy him, the mortal reminded him a lot of his old friend. He quickly pushed that thought away with a frown and gave chase.

Steve could feel his chest burning with pain from his wounds as he fled the old Hero. It felt like there was obsidian lodged in his gut. Steve rounded a street corner, then ran into an old building and slammed the door behind him. He leaned against the wall, gasping for air, and tried to think. He knew that in some way, he'd messed up in an extraordinary fashion. His heart slowing down as he got ahold of himself, the miner jogged to the back door and ran back out into the open. Herobrine casually jumped down from the roof of his hiding place and grabbed Steve in a choke-hold. The man's grip felt even tighter than before as he prepared to kill Steve.

"H-He..ro..brine, w-w..ait!"

Herobrine's piercing white eyes narrowed, and he loosened his hold just enough to let the man speak.

Steve felt his lungs expand slightly with the air he was given, and began to plead his case.

"I only wanted to help you, I don't know why you're so angry at me! I didn't do anything to try to hurt you, I swear it!"

_LIES!_ Herobrine let go of Steve's neck and delivered a mighty kick to Steve's chest. The man doubled over in pain, and Herobrine picked him up and threw him further away, out of the alley that they were standing.

This happened in the space of a split second. All Steve knew was that his midsection was now burning like the Nether and he was now on the cold ground. He slowly, painfully, stood himself up again to see the white-eyed man walking towards him with a creepy grin on his face. The look sent chills down his spine. His natural fight-or-flight response was getting the best of him, his body was screaming at him to get the Nether away from Him. Finally, Steve complied with his instincts and awkwardly fled towards the outside of the fortress. Herobrine ran after the miner.

Cool air rushed past Steve as he forced his mind and body to push through their limits and escape the immortal being. His goal forgotten, Steve ran until he saw a shallow cave. He leaped into it and hit a cold rocky floor. His legs buckled under him as he hit the ground, evoking a painful wail from the miner. Yet he continued on, for fear of Herobrine's mysterious wrath.

Steve could feel his lungs ache for air, but he held his breathing steady. Hyperventilating would only make him less aware, and he knew that the white-eyed man would soon be closing in on him. Steve walked through the rocky terrain, using the moonlight sneaking through holes in the ceiling to guide his way.

Suddenly, a familiar chill ran down his spine. Steve felt the overwhelming urge to turn around and check his surroundings, but he fought it. He knew that Herobrine had caught up to him. He steeled himself and sprinted deeper into the cave.

The dark and rocky surface of the cavern forced Steve to slow his pace, yet he kept up his speed. He glanced behind him and saw Herobrine following with inhuman speed. Suddenly he tripped and fell, and felt his face and shoulders sting from sliding on the uneven ground. Once more he picked himself up and ran, adrenaline pumping through his veins. A light appeared at the end of the tunnels, finally he could escape! He ran with all his might towards the light to find a bubbling pool of lava. Steve glanced behind him to see the white-eyed man still in pursuit, and he made up his mind. He ran faster, faster than he'd ever ran before, and jumped. His arms met cool rock while hit feet skirted the red lava. He felt his adrenaline burning off as he painfully pulled himself over the rim of the pool. An agonizing scream filled the air all of a sudden, and Steve looked down to its source. Herobrine was burning to death in the pool of molten liquid.

Suddenly Steve faced a choice. He could save the man, and risk his wrath in order to help him. Or he could resume his original mission of praying to Notch.

_Either way I'll gamble my life... Herobrine cannot die, so he'd pursue me for my deed... But then again, I promised the townsfolk I'd help. Argh, why can't anything be easy!_

Suddenly an idea popped into the miner's head.

_Why not do both?_

"Herobrine! I will return for you! Endure it, please!" Pushing past the inhuman screams of Herobrine, Steve made a beeline for the old temple.

Meanwhile, Herobrine was burning to death. (Or just burning). After an agonizing ten minutes in the molten liquid, He gathered enough focus to summon his sword. Using it as a grip, He cut clear through the stone rim and pulled himself up. His entire body below his chin was charred black and the smell of burning flesh wafted through the area. Herobrine took no notice of this, as he was focused on the many ways he could torture the man who was the source of his pain. He let out an enraged roar as he waited for his body to mend itself and make him mobile again.

Steve hastily climbed up to the fortress from the caves. The odd spider or skeleton slowed his progress in getting to his goal, the shrine of Notch. Hopefully he could ask Notch to help him in his quest._I just hope that Herobrine doesn't free himself anytime soon..._

After what seemed like an eternity to Steve, he reached the shrine. It's circular structure and red wool carpeting had worn away with time, and several gaping holes were present in the roof. The carpeting was dyed a sickening green color due to the mold growing on it.

Steve cautiously approached the structure. _If Herobrine finds me here, he'll kill me for sure. I've only got one shot at this, better make it count! For my friends, and for Herobrine! _The mortal man kneeled at the altar reverently. Minutes passed. Stbeat faster with each passing second.

Meanwhile, a certain white-eyed deity was mobile again. With inhuman speed He jumped from ledge to ledge, easily making it up to the fortress in half the time it took the miner. Herobrine's heightened senses told him that the miner was at the altar of the damned Notch. He heightened His speed and reached the altar in record time. There, the miner kneeled in a reverent position, mumbling to himself. Herobrine raised his diamond blade, ready to end it all, when He picked up on the miner's words.

_Please, you've got to help Herobrine. He is misguided and needs your help. Just don't destroy Him, He has been through enough._

Herobrine halted in his action. Was the miner trying to _help_ him? He did say he'd come back...

Herobrine shook his head in confusion. _I need time to think. But for now, the Mortal's got to go._ Herobrine hit Steve in the back of the head with the palm of his blade. He then grabbed the now unconscious man and put him elsewhere in the fortress. Herobrine then retired to his throne to think about what should be done.  
As Herobrine left the structure, the temple began to glow with a soft white light. Then, only after a moment or two, the light vanished.


End file.
